It turns out that Western civilization has been pooping wrong for generations. According to scientists at the Stanford University Pelvic Floor Clinic, we’re meant to squat, not sit (which makes sense if you think about our ancestors’ bathroom habits).

Squatting relaxes your muscles in just the right way to create optimal inner plumbing movement and can potentially combat some pretty serious diseases like Colitis and Colon Cancer. Now you can poop right with Squatty Potty, a step stool that allows you to sit on the toilet with perfect squat posture. Despite being full of water-plopping sound effects, the ad is pretty convincing. Perhaps an unsightly plastic thing is a small price to pay for happy bowels?